Milk-can-securing means.



'No. 677,566. Patented July 2, MIL. E. EATON.

MILK CAN SECURING MEANS.

(Application. filed. Jan. 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELON EATON, OF EDW'ARDS, NEW YORK.

MiLK-CAN-SECURING MEANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 677,566, dated Jilly2, 1901.

Application filed January 10, 1901- Serial No. 42,723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELON EATON, a citizen of the United States, residingat Edwards, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in lVlilk-Oan-Securing Means, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in milk-can-securing means, and hasparticular relation to devices for removably securing cans relative to asupport, such as a wagonbed, in such manner that they will be retainedin such position until removal is desired, and which devices can bereadily and quickly disconnected from the can when removal is de siredwithout changing the relative positions of the connection with thesupport, so that reengagement can take place without the necessity ofadjustment, 850.

In dairy-product districts it is the general practice for the dairymanto transport his milk to the creameries in large receptacles or canseach containing from forty to sixty gallons, and therefore each having aconsiderable weight. These cans are generally made for the purpose andare particularly adapted for use in connection with wagon-bodiessupported at the ends, and hence having their bed portion intermediatethe ends capable of a springy movement to a slight extent. This is toallow the wagon to pass over rough roads with a minim um tendency of ajolting action to the cans, such movements being gradual, and hence notliable to greatly disturb the condition of the milk. As is obvious, thecans being arranged in alinement longitudinally of the wagon might havea tendency to move toward and from each other during suchspringingmovement of the bed, and it is the purpose of the presentinvention to form a connection between the can-body and the supportwhich will serve to prevent such movement and yet automatically adjustitself to the slight variations in difierences between the handleof thecan-body and the point of the connection with the support of the devicedue to this springy movement of the bed. At the same time the connectionis such that it can be quickly broken for the removal of the can fromthe wagon and can be replaced quickly and without the necessity ofreadjustment.

The object of my invention is therefore to provide a connection orconnecting device which will serve to form a means for removablysecuring cans relative to a support therefor and it consists in theimproved construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompany= ingdrawings,and pointed outinthe appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate similarparts, Figure 1 is a View of a support having a can-body there on andshowing my improved connection in position. Fig. 2 is a similar viewtaken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa detail View of theconnection.

1 designates a support which represents a section of a wagon-bed, and 2designates the can-body, the latter having on opposite sides suitablehandles, one form of which is shown at 3.

As before explained, the support or bed is substantially unsupported,excepting at its ends, and any suitable construction may thereforebeused. vIt is to be understood, of course, that the bed may be supportedintermediate its ends; butsuch construction would serve to accentuatethe effects of any jolting, as heretofore pointed out.

The device or connection which forms the subject-matter of the inventionis illustrated in the drawings, but in greater detail in Fig. 3, andconsists of the bolt 4:, which is connocted to the bed at some distanceaway from the normal position of the can-body, as shown in Fig. 2, andhas its screw-threaded portion of any suitable length, so as to enable aready adjustment of the connection to difierent sized cans. The upperend of the bolt is provided with an eye 5, through which passes asubstantially ring-shaped portion 6, having an extended upper portion 7,in which is swiveled a suitable eye 8, the latter being secured to thelower end of a series. of links 9, as shown.

1O designates a spring-coil, which is connected to the upper end of theseries of links 9 by alink 11, the ends of which pass through the coil,as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the coil 10 are first bent at an angleto bring them into substantial lateral alinement and are then carriedupwardly at an angle to each other, (giving the appearance of a V,) theouter ends being bent in a suitable manner to form hooks or engagingportions 12. These latter are adapted to pass within the handles and bythe resiliency of the spring press outward and over the coactingportions of the handle. the ends of the spring are inclined relativelyto each other, so that while there is a substantially fixed length tothe connection when in position such Length can be slightly increased bythe movement of the free ends toward each other; but such movement isunder tension of the coil and tends to cause the ends to resume theirnormal position, and this movement can be used in connection with thetightening of the tension of the coil by adjusting the bolt in anobvious manner.

Any movement of the bed which would tend to separate the can-body andbed would cause an increase of the tension of the spring and tend toreduce any such movement, yet permitting the bolt to move with the bedand without liability of the connection breaking. There may therefore besaid to be formed a connection between the support and the canbody whichis positive and yielding to permit a slight relative vertical movementof the can and support.

In practice the upper ends of the cans are positioned by means ofsuitable recessed blocks which are interposed between the cans, thusholding them from movement toward each other during the springy movementof the bed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is '1. Thecombination of a support; a can- As shown, the normal position of bodyseated thereon and having handles; and connections between the handlesand the support, each connection being positive and yielding to alimited extent to permit of a slight relative movement of the can andsupport in the direction of the axis of the can.

2. The combination of a support; a canbody seated thereon and havinghandles; and connections between the handles and the support, eachconnection being adjnstably carried by the support, the opposite end ofthe connection having spring engaging members adapted to be receivedby'and exert pressure against opposite sides of said handles andremovable therefrom without disturbing the position of the connectionrelative to the support.

3. As a means for securing cans relative to a support therefor,connections between the support and the handles on the can, comprising aseries of links having at one end a bolt adapted to be connected adjustably with said support, said bolt having a swiveled connection withthe series of links, and a spring-coil located at the opposite end ofsaid links, said coil having its free ends extended and terminating withhook-shaped ends, the intermediate portions of said free ends being bentto place the hook-shaped ends in lateral alinement, said ends beingadapted to be removably secured in the can-handles.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ELON EATON.

\Vitnesses:

J. H. WmsLow, G. HUGHES.

